


Your truth is not mine.

by DribbleMrFlibble



Series: My Deckerstar [1]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: F/M, My First AO3 Post, My First Fanfic, Post-Season 3 (Trollhunters)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-11 00:22:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 20,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18418967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DribbleMrFlibble/pseuds/DribbleMrFlibble
Summary: Decker see's Lucifer's 'devil face' ...what happens next.Song:  Papercuts (ft Vera Blue) - Illy





	1. Brain Freeze

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, my first ever fanfic. 
> 
> I'm not an writer. Just for a refresher I binge watched all three seasons hoping for an April season 4, but I finished too early. I found fanfic (never read any before) while trying to get info to tide me over after realising it's more likely a May season 4. I have been reading non-stop for 3 straight weeks. There are no more big completed fics left for me to read so I decided to try writing my own. 
> 
> This is completed, but unedited. I didn't want to start posting and not finish it. So I will post the chapters as I edit them. But I'm talking spell check and not much else. It does end without a satisfying resolution though, sorry. I plan a part 2 but I wont post it unless I complete it. 
> 
> I don't have a beta (guessing that's someone who reads and gives feedback before you post), I barely understand anything you lot write to each other and am still learning how this website works. Any tips gladly accepted!!! 
> 
> I tried to incorporate all the tidbits and hints that are out there ( although I doubt Ella and Dan find out) like Linda knowing before Chloe being an issue and just their body language in Boo Normal (on the presumption that it stays in their current timeline). But if BN is mid season 4 I'm a little worried...looks like no Deckerstar action for a while yet. Eeek, luckily fanfic exists right? Also who knew Douchifer would be so hot???
> 
> Also song title/suggestion - is it a thing, can someone please explain? I put one in, not sure it's the right spot as I was hearing the run run run run run run run run awaaaaaaaaaaoy (Psycho Killer) in my mind as I was writing one of the chapters. Thought about the rest of the lyrics and they fit quite well. Which I think is the point. Again guessing here, sorry if I'm wrong. I will try to come up with others for all chapters but I'm not sure how well I will do at that.

"It's all true" Chloe Decker muttered.  
"Detective" Lucifer replied slightly confused.  
"It's all true" she muttered again, breathlessly. Stumbling back slightly. It was then he realised the horrific reality that stood before him. She knew, his beautiful, perfect Detective knew. She saw him for what he truly was. She saw the monster that he really was. She saw his 'devil face'. He took in her wide eyed stare, her slightly trembling countenance, the repetition in her words. She knew and she was afraid, as he had always feared she would be. He had hoped that she wouldn't, that she would love him as, he realised in that moment, he loved her. But of course she wouldn't, she couldn't. Who could love the devil?

Amenadiel had been right. What a pain. He touched his hand to his face. The hard, harsh skin sizzled under his fingertips. He had killed Cain, killed a human. Sure he had done it to protect the Detective. To protect himself and their ability to be together but that didn't change the fact that he had killed, again. He was a monster, he knew it and his 'devil face' showed how he felt about himself. How could _she_ feel any other way? He dropped to his knees, of course he loved her. He had died for her, killed for her. There had been no other way, how could there have been, they were forces she couldn't understand. But even now as his true form was revealed to her he knew she could _never_ understand. She was the Detective, so pure and good. How could she not see the evil in what he had done? His knees had barely touched the floor, his face in his hands before the guilt that had hammered down into his soul burst through him. He gasped and then he heard her voice.

She had laughed, a strange muted gurgle of a thing that made no sense, but he couldn't bare to look at her. To see the pain, or anger, or worst of all fear in her eyes. In one swift movement filled with shear pain and agony he wrenched his battered and bleeding wings into existence and burst out into the sky.

 

***

 

Chloe Decker stood watching as Lucifer fled. She had run from the rooftop he had left her on knowing in her heart that he was who he said he was. That all those crazy devil 'metaphors' had been real. That he did not, as he had told her so many times before, lie. She had come upon him crouched over Pierce's body ready to accept him, ready to tell him that she finally believed. But then she had seen his face. His 'devil face', as he had called it.  
"It's all true" she had said. His poor charred face had looked at her questioningly.  
"Detective" he murmured. She knew he had tried to show her before, he had told her someone took it. She had thought it another of his tactics to distance himself from her, a silly game he had played that she hadn't understood.  
"It's all true" she had said again, trying desperately to get her brain to process everything at once, to start working. Chloe watched as he dropped to his knees, his head in his hands struggling to hide the pain etched on his face. A thought flickered through her consciousness, she latch on. She had thought him childish and immature. She had run straight into Pierce's arms, looking for stable, for reliable, for maturity. 'Immortal' Lucifer had called him, well that's certainly mature. A weird noise arose from her throat, 'Oh God I'm cackling' she thought and shoved the noise back down as fast as she could. Lucifer seemed to flinch at the sound and before she could collect herself he had spread his blood spattered wings and was gone.

Finally her brain did start to function, pulled into reality by the noise of her phone. Still dazed she pressed the green accept button and put the phone to her ear, muscle memory, barely anything more. It was Dan and Ella worriedly calling her name over and over. She let the repetition soothe her frazzled thoughts until slowly but surely she felt capable of answering.  
"I'm here, I'm okay. Pierce is dead. Please come." she ended the call without waiting for their answer and sat down amongst the bloodied feathers and waited.


	2. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's easier with friends
> 
> Song: This Night - Black Lab

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It hasn't really gotten going yet...don't know why I wrote the first few chapters with his/her split view

Lucifer managed to get a block away by shear force of will. He hadn't been the Ruler of Hell for all those millennia thru the grace of his father after all. His father had banished him to Hell but Lucifer had been the one to fight for the right to rule. He had been the one to quell the rebellions, beat down the demon horde who had resented an Angel ruling over them. He had been badly injured protecting the Detective, he wasn't invulnerable around her of course he was injured but that did not make him weak, he thought to himself. Vulnerable, sure. Injured, well obviously. But weak, never. But he did need help to get the bullets out, and soon, so his wings wouldn't heal over them. He could already feel his angelic healing power working it's magic now that he was away from her, his beautiful Detective.

 

He was walking now, he had two choices, Maze or Linda were the only ones around who knew who he was (and weren't afraid). Linda was the only one he could trust at this point. Maze had left him, upset that he wouldn't take her home, upset that he had put the Detective ahead of her, upset for all manner of reasons that Lucifer couldn't understand. She was a mystery to him where once he had known all of her. He thought he had known her as well as he had known himself. Well, he thought ruefully as he dialed her number, maybe he had, because it seemed he hadn't known himself that well either. He did know however that Maze had sworn to protect him, no matter her feelings, it was her duty and maybe somehow they could fix things, get back a little of what they had lost. Facing Maze was easier than facing Linda anyway. He honestly didn't think this was a job for Linda but mostly he just didn't want to have to talk about what happened. Talk about killing Cain, about the Detective seeing _him_ , about his 'devil face' returning. He didn't want Linda to...

 

"Hello, Lucifer?" It was Linda. Linda's voice answering Maze's phone. Linda's voice saying his name.

"Linda? Where's Maze?" Lucifer questioned blankly.

"She's here Lucifer, she's badly injured. She was talking about someone trying to kill me. Are you okay? Lucifer, Lucifer?" Her voice was rising, getting louder and more worried.

"I'm...fi..I need some help". He gave in. He did need help and as much as he didn't want to talk to Linda he knew he needed that help too.

 

 

***

 

 

Dan and Ella burst into the room where Chloe sat. Dan, ever the protector, first, gun drawn, eyes darting, fanning out to clear the room while Ella, following had made a beeline for Chloe. She crouched down beside her friend and enveloped her in a hug as she took in Pierce's body on the floor. Dan was checking for a pulse. Methodically he checked all the bodies as Ella stroked Chloe's hair making soothing noises and telling her it would all be okay. At that Chloe startled,

"Lucifer" she sobbed quietly "he's Lucifer". Dan looked at her and then down at the last body below him.

"Chloe, it's alright, it's not Lucifer, it's one of Pierce's men, look." He rolled the body over to face the Detective. "Where is Lucifer anyway?" he asked turning slowly to scan the room again. "And what's with all these bloody feathers?"

"Oh...My...God" breathed Ella. She looked at Decker, and Chloe Decker watched as Ella's eyes moved from hers to the broken window, panning down the staircase to the scattered remains of Lucifer's bloodied wing feathers. She picked one up and Chloe saw a kind of peace settle across Ella's face. "Oh..My..God" she said again. She brought the feather up in front of her face, spun it slowly in her fingers, the light catching it making it glow that little bit more. "Oh.My.God" this time with a little excitement. She drew her eyes back to stare directly into Chloe's and Chloe felt her head nod ever so slightly. "Oh my god, right" Ella said again as she put the feather in an evidence bag. "Okay" as she picked up another. "Right" placing the second feather in the evidence bag. "Okay" a third feather, "Right" into the evidence bag, and so she continued.

 

"Uh?" Dan frowned and kind of shock his head, looking from Ella to Chloe questioningly. "What the hell happened Decker?" He swung his arm around the room "What was the truth you were avoiding, what did you know? What happened and where the hell is Lucifer?" Dan shook his head again trying to piece together what he knew. Pierce was the Sinnerman. Lucifer had known. Pierce had killed Charlotte. Charlotte had some weird relationship with Lucifer. When Dan had brought has findings to them Lucifer had backed him. Dan was still angry that Lucifer so easily and calmly told them that Pierce had told him he was the Sinnerman months ago. But he had seemed genuinely upset at Charlotte's death. Had it been a ruse? Had Lucifer been playing them to get them to fall into the Sinnerman's trap? Dan pulled his gun again, spinning round on the spot, "Where is he Chloe? Did he get away? Was he in on it the whole time?"

 

Chloe Decker laughed. A proper, mirth filled laugh that seemed to release a stress she didn't know had been trapped. Dan had never trusted Lucifer, not fully. He had never bothered to get to know him beyond the surface, not really. Dan trusted Chloe, who trusted Lucifer so that was good enough most of the time. But Chloe knew that Dan thought she was missing something about Lucifer. Well turns out he had been right, to a point. But Chloe also knew that Dan always thought the worst first when it came to Lucifer. She wondered how this next revelation was going to go?

"Listen Dan, Lucifer is injured, he's gone to get looked at" (well at least she'd hoped that's where he was even if it wasn't the reason he left) "He most definitely wasn't 'in on it' Dan, he saved my life for sure. How? I don't really know the finer details but I do know he could because he is the Devil." By this stage Decker was by Dan's side, her hand slowly pushing down on the arm that held his gun up. She looked over at Pierce's body "He said he wanted to live, that I had made him want to live. That he couldn't just reinvent himself this time, that Lucifer would always hunt him down. He said he would kill me too, if I didn't let him kill Lucifer." She looked back into Dan's eyes, trying to explain without words the fact that she couldn't let that happen. "So I shot him, I shot Pierce Dan". Dan looked at Chloe as she lowered her head. She had shot Pierce, apparently defending Lucifer, that was her job. Why did she look ashamed?

He looked the Pierce's body again. The odd shaped crescent blade still sticking out of his chest.

"You shot him with a blade?"

"No, look again, I got him in the shoulder, I wasn't good enough. He fell but obviously he wasn't too badly injured. Someone shot me seconds afterwards." She pulled down her shirt collar revealing the bullet still lodged in her vest. "I passed out Dan, I was useless, I left Lucifer to protect himself and me from all this." she swept her arm around the bullet strewn room. "I woke up in Lucifer's arms on the rooftop." 'You're safe, that's all the matters' she remembered he had said to her. He had protected her when she had failed to protect him. She remembered his face, his voice filled with so much emotion, even as woozy as she had been she remembered. A choked laugh escaped her lips and a tear rolled down her cheek. She had tried to protect The Devil. The Devil who loved her.

"The rooftop? Huh, why the rooftop? How?" Dan questioned.

"I told Lucifer we needed to find Pierce and he was just gone. That's when you rang, I heard the gunshots and ran back here. I found Lucifer over Pierce's body and this". She gestured to the room as a whole with her arms and kicked lightly at some feathers.

 

Ella had been moving around the scene, she had come down the stairs arms out like a kid playing aeroplanes. She had bobbed and weaved, spun and ducked, nodding and calculating all the time Decker had been talking.

"Where were you and Lucifer when you shot, ah when you were shot?" Ella asked as soon as Chloe had stopped speaking.

"Ahh just about here and here, in the middle of the room. Pierce and one guy were in front of the stairs and there were three guys up there on the balcony" Chloe answered like the policewoman she was. Ella stood in the spot where Lucifer had been, she crouched slightly and brought her arms forward arched somewhat like wings. "What happened Ella? When I was out? Can you tell me?"

"Well I mean I can take a guess, a lot has happened here and I'm not up on all the ' _rules_ ' " she air quoted "so...yeah here goes..." and with that Ella bounced and spun and whirled her way thru the room explaining the events as best she could with what evidence she had catalogued in her brain. Chloe had somewhat zoned out after the part where Ella had theorised that Lucifer had shielded her unconscious body from the spray of dozens if not hundreds of bullets. The balcony upstairs was littered with casings but although there were a lot of bullets on the floor, lodged into walls and pillars there didn't seem to be anywhere near enough to match. And his wings, she had seen them for a moment when he fled, they were so big and maybe they had been beautiful but all Chloe had registered before he was gone was the blood. The feathers on the floor too, were covered in blood. She picked one up twirling it in the light as Ella had done previously.

 

"Just one question really" Ella said reaching out to grasp Chloe's hand, the one that held the feather. "Aren't Angels immortal? Is it a devil thing? I just don't get it, can he get hurt but not die? What makes an immortal bleed?" Dan was looking at them quizzically, like maybe they had gone insane.

"Immortal? Devil? Angel? What on earth..." Dan had begun walking towards them. But Ella had dropped the Detective's hand, walked right up to Dan and placed a finger against his lips. "Soosh" she commanded, her tiny frame upright, steady and serious. She looked back at Decker her eyebrow raised.

"He said it was me that made him vulnerable." Chloe said softly. Ella nodded slowly, letting out a long soft sigh of recognition and understanding. Dan just spluttered.


	3. Working thru it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Character's thoughts.
> 
> Song: All time Low - Jon Bellion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still going... to be honest I don't like the Chloe paragraph here but don't know how to fix it:-(

Lucifer sat backwards in a chair in Linda's office. His wings spread as Maze, bruised and bloody, dug out the bullets of his equally bloodied wings. She had prostrate herself on the floor begging for his forgiveness when he had entered, briefly explaining her role in the plot, or plots really, Cain had cycled through. His lip had curled and he had been ready to spit fire if that was possible. She had betrayed him, she had manipulated him, she had participated in plots to force him into things he did not want, was there anything worse? But Linda had been beside her. Linda had pulled her up and chastised her.  
"You are not a pet Maze, you are not a slave. An apology is one thing, prostrating yourself is another all together. Your actions are important. As much as you were hurt and disappointed in Lucifer for putting his relationship with Detective Decker above your own relationship with him you did not follow through with what you knew was wrong. Mazikeen " Linda continued but looked directly into Lucifer's eyes "you felt betrayed by him." she continued to talk but Lucifer had stopped listening. 

Linda had been right, Maze had asked him to take her home. After a millennia of her serving him, his every need, his every whim. She had asked him for something and he had refused. She had said at the time 'Seriously you're saying no because you are afraid of your Daddy'? It was unfathomable for her to see him afraid of his father. Then even worse she had said 'you went to Hell for Pierce, a guy you don't even like'. He had risked it all for Pierce but would not risk it for her. Even though it was the trip to hell for Pierce that had put the Detective at risk Lucifer just now understood what Maze had really been saying. It was what she had already said to him 'Nobody puts me first, least of all you'. He had treated her like a thing. Here on Earth he had grown and changed, evolved or gotten in touch with his feelings/emotions whatever it was and yet he still expected Maze to be nothing more than Mazikeen of the Lilim, most skilled torturer in hell, his personal guard. Nothing but a tool to be used at his disposal. 

These thoughts had filtered through his brain as Linda spoke to Maze her eyebrow raising as she continued to look directly at Lucifer. He understood her meaning. It was simple enough really, he was acting like his father. He knew he hadn't wanted to talk to Linda about all that had transpired recently. Knowing there would be truths he didn't want to admit but he had no idea that just listening to her talk to someone else would reveal the most hurtful truth of them all. So he had nodded to Maze to show that he accepted her apology but he was unable to do any more than that. Her eyes had glistened, her human mask twisted a little. Pride, resignation, sorrow, fear he could not be sure which it was that ruled her features for an instant, maybe it had been all and more, whatever it was it was gone in a moment and she let her actions speak for her once more. Pushing him to the chair, pulling out her blade and carefully, almost lovingly really dealt with the task of removing the bullets. 

The first aid kit had already been open on Linda's desk where she had obviously used it to clean Maze up and now she was going about tending to Lucifer's wounds. She questioned him here and there, decisively, easily getting to the main points emotionally as was her skill. He answered her fully, without subterfuge, finally free to be open even in front of Maze. What was there to lose now, now that he had lost the Detective he thought. Or more to the point he realised he had lost himself. As much as he had wanted to blame his father's plots and manipulations Amenadiel's theory seemed to be the far more simpler and realistic option. He had felt truly right within himself when he had decided to tell The Detective everything. His wings had returned and he lost his devil face. Because that was who he truly was, wasn't it. He was Lucifer, archangel, Lightbringer. The Devil was just an act, a facade to get him through his punishment, a rebellion of a petulant child. Now, knowing as he did how things worked, how would he ever be able to escape the face that reflected his feelings. He was the monster he had tried so hard to rid himself of by fleeing hell. 'No matter what you tell yourself you can't outrun what you've done, what you truly are' he had said to Pierce 'And neither can you' Pierce had almost laughed back at him. 

The truth of it had broken him.

***

 

Dan Espinoza had continued to splutter for a long while as Chloe and Ella worked through the knowledge they had. In the end it didn't seem to change much day to day wise. If he was the Devil, he had always been the Devil. He had been alone with them all before. What had he done but shown them love and protection time and time again. Even Dan had to admit that after the Malcolm fiasco as much as he personally didn't like Lucifer he respected him, deep down he trusted him to do the right thing. This thing with Pierce, Charlotte and Chloe needed some explanation, how could he have known Pierce was the Sinnerman all this time and not told them? But even as they talked it over he knew that what Lucifer had said in the conference room had been true. He had tried to warn them that Pierce was no good and they hadn't listened. He had tried to work the Sinnerman case in the beginning and they had shot him down over and over until the man claiming to be the Sinnerman outright said who he was. They had thought him dead. There was no way they would have believed Lucifer if he had said Pierce was the Sinnerman. They would have chalked it up to jealousy and probably even cut him out of their investigations for taking his shit too far. Even Charlotte hadn't confessed her suspicions to him. With no proof it was a hard ask of anyone. 

Ella Lopez had probably been the calmest of them all. A relationship with God was something she had had or a while. It wasn't such a big step to realise he was in fact really real because to have a relationship with Him meant that she had to believe that He was real. The revelation that Lucifer was the Devil didn't change any of that really, made it more tangible if anything. The only thing that really stumped Ella for any time at all was the pain and sadness she felt for Lucifer. He was The Devil. He was evil, that's what everything she had learnt had taught her. Although as she said when she had first met Lucifer she had always thought The Devil got a bad wrap, how was it that God had left his son to flounder so? She had already told The Big Man that they were on shaky ground earlier and this had rocked that foundation even more. Had Lucifer been right when he insinuated that God had left Humans with free will and then pretty much abandoned them to it? Lucifer was good and kind and loyal to a fault, Ella had seen it with her own two eyes. Experienced it for herself. Sure he was wacky and unconventional, but so was she and she knew she had her unconventional childhood to frame that weirdness, what on earth had his childhood been like? 

Chloe Decker was in free fall. She had no real religious framework to hang this on. She kept flitting from the truth of Lucifer her partner, friend, almost something more to the snippets of The Bible that she did know. It wasn't much though and she couldn't hold on to it as she had never believed in anything she couldn't see, touch, feel. She needed proof, that was who she was. Lucifer had proved himself to her time and time again. Once he had managed to get her to doubt, all that time ago when she had shot him. But he bled when he said he wouldn't. And from that moment on she had passed it all off. Luciferness, that had been what they had come to call it, Luciferness. The explanation for anything unexplainable. The Devil was easy enough. The Devil was real, he had told her Hell was real, his Father, God was real, Heaven or The Silver City was real. Angel's were real, Amenadiel was an Angel, a real Angel. Which meant Maze was a real demon. Okay that part was really easy. As single entities she could deal but eternity, powers, souls...it started to get complicated. Where did she fit in this Celestial world view? 'At least you'll get to see her again Detective, eventually, in Heaven' Lucifer had said to her while they watched Charlotte's body being wheeled away. How did he know that was where Charlotte was, that Chloe would go there as well? She had watched him defend killers unknowingly, until he realised the role they played. Watched him think innocent people were guilty until they found the truth. How did he know this but not that? Why did God let Charlotte die, let Pierce do all the things he did? Let her father die, let Joe Fields take the fall and Perry Smith go free for all those years. Would he be punished in Hell for eternity, how long was eternity really? It was all too much.


	4. The Devil's personal assistant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trying to get organised
> 
> Song: Linger - The Cranberries

It was some time before Maze was finished sorting out his wings. At least with the detective not around healing had been quick, the pain barely much of anything. Linda had spent the time cleaning what she could while she spoke of forgiveness, self worth and self love. He suspected it was directed at Maze as much as himself. They had both succumbed to this warped misshapen parody of human emotions. Maze had seen it as weakness, first in him and then finally in herself. He had not even seen it at all! How could he find worth in, love even, someone so blind and stupid as himself? The Detective had called three times already but even though both Maze had Linda had eyed him carefully he had rejected her calls claiming not to be able to take it while Maze was digging into his bone. The third time she had offered to stop so he could take the call but he waved her off with the half truth of wanting to get the deed finished before his wings fully healed. Lucifer saw the look that passed between Maze and Linda as he had said it but as far as he was concerned there was nothing else for it. He would not lie and there was no other way to pass off what The Detective had seen. He knew she was calling for answers, an explanation and he had none to give save the truth. The loss he felt after seeing her face was complete enough, he could not bare to hear her confirm in words.

 

Maze on the other hand was very interested to hear what her ex roommate had to say. Because although she loathed what Lucifer had become with his never ending fascination with Chloe Decker she had nothing but respect for the woman herself. Before Maze had lost her shit (not how Linda had put it) they had had a pretty easy relationship. Even without knowing Maze was a Demon Chloe had been fair and merciful. Chloe Decker's values in no way lined up with Maze's yet she valued and supported her at all times. Nothing Maze did tainted that exasperated kindness Chloe had always shown her. Nothing that was until Maze had hurt Trixie's feelings. For the first time in her soulless life Maze wished she could pray to God to fix that one. Maze knew she had fucked up so many things, but after her talk with Linda and then what had happened with Lucifer she was beginning to feel like she could get on top of it all again. It was a setback for sure but nothing she couldn't handle. She was Mazikeen of the Lilim after all. The only niggling doubt that was still eating away at her was Trixie Decker. Her first friend. A child at that. What she wouldn't give to take back what she had said while the little girl had stood behind her. Maybe Linda could help?

 

As Maze began the broach the subject Lucifer's phone rang again, this time it was Ella Lopez's name that flashed across the screen. Maze and Linda watched as he looked at the screen for a few seconds and then rejected the call. Linda tutted.

"Lucifer you can't run from this." she said placing her hands on her hips. Looking more like a mother hen than a therapist at that moment.

"I'm not running Doctor, I'm sitting right here." Lucifer replied curtly, his face defying her to call him out on his lie that wasn't a lie. Ella called again. This time he rejected the call almost immediately. Linda arched her eyebrow. "Okay, Okay" Lucifer muttered somewhat feebly "I'm just not ready, okay." As he hit reject on Ella's third call. "I mean just look at me, I couldn't possibly answer the phone in this state!" He primped, a cocky grin flashing across his face.

"Lucifer, no matter your fears on the matter I'm sure they are just checking on you, they need to know that you are not hurt. You said that Chloe saw your wings. The amount of blood that must be on the floor. They must be very worried for you." Lucifer sniffed at her use of the word fear.

"For or _of_ Doctor?" Lucifer quizzed rhetorically not really explaining himself on purpose. His phone rang again, this time however Maze ripped it out of his hand and held it to Linda. Lucifer eyed the demon for a moment, it seemed she felt herself restored in his eyes already.

"Can I at least let them know you are safe Lucifer, they must be worried sick. I know I was." Linda begged "As your friend Lucifer, nothing more." He nodded, a little too worried to speak lest he betray the fear that Linda had been speaking of. It had been one thing to tell her exactly what had happened in the loft with Pierce but quite another to let her hear how he truly felt.

"Hello, Linda speaking".

 

 

***

 

 

Once Dan, Ella and Chloe had sorted through the bare minimum of what they needed to function and get back to the scene in front of them they realised they needed to call Lucifer. What were they going to report? In reality they themselves knew very little of what actually happened for sure. Ella of course had run through what she thought had happened but if they went to the department with that...well the best case would end with Lucifer arrested and the three of them would be in a looney bin. Chloe Decker tried his phone, it didn't go straight to voicemail but it didn't seem to ring out either. They talked about what choices they had. First they could clean up the crime scene entirely, not mention it to anyone. No-one knew they were onto Pierce, this was one of his Sinnerman stash houses. It was unlikely anyone would come here for ages, years even. The Lieutenant would just disappear and no-one would be the wiser. None of them thought that was a good idea. Too many higher ups would be looking to find a missing Lieutenant.

 

Chloe tried Lucifer's phone again. Well how about they just erase the evidence of them being there? Ella knew what to look for so she would know what to make disappear. Maybe they could make it look like it had been an internal struggle within the Sinnerman gang. But even that, although perhaps easier to pull off than pretending nothing happened would be a terrible risk. Pierce being who he was would mean scrutiny from who knows where, and if they missed one little thing, slipped up in the tiniest way. It didn't bare thinking about. Chloe tried his phone again. Still no answer.

 

"A crime scene like this will lead to more questions than answers." Ella said thoughtfully. "Lucifer must know what to do with this." she waved her hands over the mess in front of them. She tried to call him herself. Still no answer. "Are you sure he is okay Decker? I know you saw him leave but there is quite a lot of blood". Ella called him again. Still no answer and a little pinprick of worry settled in her heart. "He's immortal so he can't die right, but he is vulnerable around you, does that mean he can die if he is injured when he is with you?" She dialed a third time, still no answer."Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit" she squeaked.

Dan got out his own phone.

"Look, I'll try." he said as if him calling would magically make a difference. And then..."Hello, Linda? Oh for God sake all this shit and he's out picking up women." Dan gasped exasperated. Chloe and Ella knowing exactly who Linda was laughed and motioned for him to hand the phone over, he put it on speaker and handed the phone to Chloe.

"Hi Linda it's Chloe." Decker said. "Is Lucifer alright, his w...he ah seemed like he might be injured." shit, she had know his secret less than an hour and already she nearly blurted out that he had wings, Ella and Dan's eyes had widened suddenly.

"It's fine Chloe, I know. He was pretty messed up to be honest but Maze has gotten all the bullets out and now that he is away from you he is healing quite nicely." Linda said matter of factly. Chloe baulked. She didn't know why but the whole thing put her on the back foot. Dan and Ella also seemed a little shocked.

"Ah, you know, okay ahh...that makes things easier I suppose."

"Absolutely! And Ella and...Douche?" Chloe heard Linda question, she must be reading Lucifer's phone. Dan frowned. She hears Maze tell Linda Dan's name "right Dan are there now so I guess they are also aware?"

"Yes, one look at the crime scene and Ella had it figured out." Chloe explained.

"I have no doubt." the praise in Linda's voice was clear, Ella certainly heard it. "Tribe night will be so much easier, anyway Lucifer is on the mend, no need to worry. Was there anything else?"

"Ah yes there was." Chloe found herself struggling to speak to Linda, she felt a little like she was talking to her teacher. And 'was there anything else?' - was the woman trying to get her off the phone? "umm it's, well, it's the crime scene. We don't actually know what to do with it, like, how to proceed so to speak. We can't call it in like this that's for sure."

"Right, that makes sense, we didn't think of that. Hold on." she heard movement and then soft scratches followed by the soft hum of muted voices. Linda had placed the phone to her chest. For some reason that made Detective Decker angry. Was Linda his personal assistant now? "Okay Chloe he said he will be right there, please wait for him. Come see me whenever you can okay, all of you? Bye now." and that was it, she had hung up the phone.


	5. Gotta plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fitting the supernatural crime scene into the natural world
> 
> Song: 7 minutes - Dean Lewis

Lucifer arrived in minutes. Of course he did, he can fly thought Chloe. He just appeared on the second floor, inside the giant hole in the windows that he had created earlier. He had changed his clothes, his new suit was lighter than the charcoal grey one he had worn during the fight, perfectly pressed and elegant as usual. The only clue that he had been in a fight for his life such a short time ago was his pale, slightly taut face. He stopped at the top of the balcony, not daring to approach them too closely, like some kind of wild animal. Ella ran up to him and enveloped his tall frame in her tiny arms. Chloe watched Lucifer restrain himself from recoiling. It was the same move he made when Trixie hugged him, same old Lucifer. She knew who he really was didn't she? She walked up the stairs toward him and Ella stepped to the side. She reached out slowly and took his left hand in hers. He eyed her carefully, like he was watching a snake ready to strike at any moment. She realised that he hadn't yet spoken so she broke the ice.

"Are you okay?" it was a simple start. She stepped beside him, still holding his left hand she raised her right to rub flat palmed cycles on his back. His sharp intake of breath stopped her in her tracks. She thought back to all that time ago when they were just getting to know each other. She had seen the scars on his back, heard his plaintive cry 'Please don't'. "Sorry!" she rushed and buried her head in her hands. He brushed a stray strand of hair, escaped from her loose ponytail, behind her ear as he looked down at her. She raised just her eyes above her fingertips. His touch was soft and kind and full of love but his fingers trembled.

"You're safe, that's all that matters." so quiet that only she could hear he echoed the words that he had said to her on the rooftop. "I'm okay, thank-you all for your concern." he said at a normal volume. "Well I suppose The Devil isn't known for his forethought and planning am I? Luckily I have just the Angel who is." He said jovially. Always quick with an irreverent quip. She did know him. He closed his eyes and raised his hands up in prayer and seconds later Amenadiel landed next to his brother.

"Chloe, Ms Lopez, Dan." he said in greeting then "My condolences."

"Thanks man, you too." Dan said. Ella hugged him and Chloe reached out and squeezed his shoulder.

"Okay brother, chit chat later. Small problem. It's like divinity hit a flock of pigeons in here. We are well past time to 'call it in' as they say in the biz and we need to figure out how to proceed." he rattled off. She really did know him.

 

Amenadiel did his _thing_. The three humans stood still along with time itself. Amenadiel surveyed his brother. "So you told her Luci?" he queried

"Not in so many words my dear brother." Lucifer began with his usual banter but the look on Amenadiel's face made him rethink. "After I killed Cain I got it back." he let his 'devil face' come to the fore "she saw it brother." He looked again thru his human eyes and saw his brother smile and nod.

"And she is still here, with friends even. This is good is it not? You seem less pleased than I would have thought."

"hmmm we shall see" Lucifer said vaguely "But more importantly right now, what are we going to do about this?"

"Tell me what happened here so I can figure something out." So Lucifer went over it all for his brother, Amenadiel thought for a moment and came up with a plan.

"Now I know you don't lie Luci but can you word it so that they believe you have no recollection of events for the same time that Detective Decker does? Perhaps she fell into you and you hit your head on the floor and passed out yourself?" If we clean up all the divinity and play dumb as to the angel..."Lucifer raised an eyebrow "sorry Devil aspect of it all it'll be a mystery for sure, but it's not one they will ever figure out.

"Okay if you think it best, you were always better at strategy than I." Lucifer conceded.

"I think without the help of our father - don't worry I'm not suggesting it! - this is our only course of action." Amenadiel confirmed and the two brothers set about destroying every shred of divinity that was there.

 

If time wasn't stopped it would have been hours before they were finally finished. Amenadiel nodded to Lucifer.

"Right, all done." he said and let time go on. Chloe, Ella and Dan moved once again. Ella squeaked.

"Okay Detective " Lucifer began "you can call it in now. The story is that you were shot by Pierce's oaf knocking you out and into me where I possibly hit my head and passed out too. We woke on the rooftop somehow and raced back to find this." He spread his hands to indicate the room, now swept clean of anything divine. "There will be a great gaping 'but what the hell happened' in the middle of the story but as we can't tell it it'll be left as a mystery. Without the bloody feathers to give it away I think even you Ms Lopez would be at a loss to explain this."

"That's true." Ella said "to be honest it's wild but I can't see any other way around it."

"But what about you?" The Detective asked "You keep saying you don't lie."

"I don't Detective, but as you yourself told me earlier I tell my own truth."


	6. Your truth is not mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the best of intentions...
> 
> Song: Murder Song - Aurora

Hours later, the loft had been inundated with uniforms. It had been swept top to bottom and the questioning had begun. Dan and Ella, not having come to loft until after everything was over had been questioned quickly and released until a later date. They had gone with Amenadiel for an impromptu memorial for Charlotte. Chloe was pleased for Dan, it seemed like this could be very good for him. Lucifer and Chloe however were being taken to the station. Lieutenant Pierce was dead. The fact that they said he was the Sinnerman was yet to be proven. His choice of trap location had benefited them already though. With just a quick once over it was easy to see that many of the items in the loft were stolen, it gave immediate weight to theri assertions. It wouldn't be long before they were connected a myriad of crimes. The loft was no small time crime den after all. Lucifer had also called Maze, her story and an ongoing search of the location where she had been kept further cemented their claims that Pierce was indeed the Sinnerman.

 

They had a kind of informal questioning; police courtesy. Lucifer and Chloe sat in the room together with two detectives from another branch.

"How and when did you first come across the information that Lt. Pierce was the Sinnerman?"

"Detective Dan Espinoza brought it to Lucifer's and my attention yesterday. It was a file belonging to his girlfriend Charlotte Richards which she had left in his house. He found it while cleaning up her stuff after her death." Chloe answered.

"Do you know how she came to believe he was the Sinnerman?"

"No I do not." she answered again. She noticed Lucifer was saying nothing.

"How was Ms Lopez involved?"

"That needs some context." Chloe volunteered but waited for approval from the questioning Detectives before continuing. She explained that once they realised that Charlotte may have been killed because of her investigation into Pierce then he would need a fall guy and quick. When even though the crime scene had been combed twice already Pierce insisted on doing another and miraculously evidence was found they knew they were on the right track. They interview the fall guy and his staff, found the person who had planted the evidence and took the phone he had used to communicate with the Sinnerman. "We asked Ms Lopez to feed Lt. Pierce the information that Detective Espinoza had asked her to examine the phone but not tell anyone, she came to him as a concerned colleague."

"And what was the result?"

"The man currently in Cell 5 came to Detective Espinoza's residence to shoot him. We apprehended him instead and tried to get him to flip on his boss."

"And he did not?"

"No, so I rang Lt. Pierce in an attempt to get him to turn himself in. He refused and I told him we had his guy and he would eventually crack. Lt. Pierce told me that wouldn't happen as he could get to the guy's sister. We promised protection for his sister if he told us where Pierce was and he eventually gave us the address of the loft."

"And you went in without backup?"

"Yes, we had dealt with the Sinnerman before. Lt. Pierce was actually the one who told us that the Sinnerman has anyone and everyone in his pocket. We didn't know who to trust and we thought we were just picking up a girl."

"So you went in looking for the guy's sister. At what point did you realise it was a trap?"

"I mentioned something not being right just before Lt. Pierce stepped out, with a gunman beside him and three above us on the balcony, so too late I'm afraid."

"And then what happened?"

"Lt. Pierce made it clear that he intended to kill me." Lucifer finally spoke.

"Why you?"

"I was the one who first brought the Sinnerman to the LAPD's attention. He had been active in Chicago and I heard rumours at my club that he was now operating in L.A.. Hindsight being 20/20 as they say when Lt. Pierce transferred to L.A. he brought his Sinnerman network with him. I didn't put two and two together at the time but Lt. Pierce knew I was trying to find the Sinnerman. He said he didn't want to spend the rest of his life running from me."

"Aha, and then?"

"Detective Decker being the finest LAPD has to offer of course stepped in front of me and tried to diffuse the situation."

"And how did that go?" Lucifer looked to Chloe, he wanted her to answer. He didn't want to say that she had shot first.

"He gave me a choice" Detective Decker began " he would spare me and kill Lucifer if I moved or he would kill us both if I didn't. So I shot him."

"How many times?" "Just the once, I hit him in the left shoulder. He fell backwards and before I could do anything else I was shot."

"Where?" "Upper Chest, edge of my vest. The impact knocked me out, I remember being hit and starting to fall and that's it."

"Do you conquer Lucifer? The Detective shot first, one shot only and was then shot herself rendering her unconscious.?"

"Yes absolutely." Lucifer replied.

"And what happened next?"

"To be honest I thought The Detective had been shot dead. She fell on top of me and I remember screaming as I went down and just losing all sense of self."

"So you were rendered unconscious too?"

"As much as I like to tell the Detective I am invulnerable it has been known to happen to me, I do remember not being able to see anything but white."

"And the next thing you remember?" Lucifer looked to Chloe again.

"The next thing I remember is waking up on the roof."

"On the roof?"

"Yes"

"Lucifer?"

"Yes, she woke up on the roof in my arms, it was then that I came to my senses. She was alive, bullet-proof vests, lifesavers, literally."

"And neither of you have any idea how you came to be on the roof?"

"Well I would say we must have flown there but that seems implausible to the human mind."

"Yes, Yes it does."

"I thought as much but you know other than flight I have no other feasible explanation."

"Neither do I" added Chloe

"Okay, moving on. What happened next?" Lucifer looked at Chloe.

"Detective Espinoza and Ms Lopez called to warn us it was a trap. I told them we knew, that Lt. Pierce had already tried to kill us but we were safe now. It was then that I could hear gunshots."

"And what did you do?"

"Well the Detective ran straight back into the fray of course. Is that not what your fine officers are trained to do? Alas I have no such training but where The Detective goes I follow."

"When I got there and saw what I saw I was in shock." Chloe added and she heard Lucifer snort ever so softly.

"That's right." Lucifer added " she was most definitely shocked, she was repeating herself. But to be fair at that moment I was extremely shocked myself. A first for both of us to see each other like that I would say. It's not like you come across a crime scene looking like _that_ everyday. I mean we had stood there together not 10 minutes beforehand, and then woosh, wrath of biblical proportions."

"Okay so then you called it in?"

"Well it would be a lie to say we called it in that instant. I mean you saw the place, once Detective Do..Espinoza and Ms Lopez arrived there was some time lost to gaping and speculating I'm afraid. Detective Decker called it in the moment we had all organised ourselves."

 

And with that the Detective and Lucifer were thanked and released on the proviso that there may be future questioning. By the time they had made it all the way to the parking garage Lucifer realised that The Detective hadn't spoken to him. In his haste the make sure that she didn't lose her job or go to jail he had of course come running. He had died for her, twice. walked the corridors of Hell for her. What was a little false bravado? A little play acting to save what was important to her. He realised too slowly though that she had been acting too. Now the need for pretense was gone he could see the real her. The Detective that knew he was The Devil. He stopped when they got to her car. Head down he said quietly

"I'm sorry Detective."

 

"What for Lucifer?" she asked brazenly. looking him directly in the eyes.

"I told you." he said pleadingly "I told you so many times." he was almost begging.

"Yes, yes you did Lucifer and every single time you knew I didn't believe you. All this time you could have proven it but you let me believe a lie!" she said angrily.

"I never lied." he asserted

"No, I saw that all too well in there tonight." she gestured toward the building.

"But I did that for you, for your career. If I didn't then well.." he didn't know what to say, didn't want to imagine what would happen to The Detective if they found out what really happened in the loft.

"I know Lucifer and I'm grateful, I truly am. I would have died today if you didn't do what you did, and now you are saving my job too. But I just watched how easily you twisted everything. "You may not have lied, and yes every word you said in there was the truth but..."she sighed "I don't even have the words to explain it. The meaning that came out was nothing but lies. It was like second nature and I suppose you have had a lot of practice." she laughed a pained kind of cackle.

"i don't understand why you are so angry." He had expected her to be afraid of him, hate him even but this, he was at a loss.

"I'm not angry Lucifer, not really." she began softly "I'm...I'm...I don't know, bereft, betrayed, something. I just don't know how to trust you at this point. I mean you, me, us, Pierce it was all just a big lie to me."

"Detective..."

"I know Lucifer, you don't lie. But it's your truth Lucifer, yours. It's not mine." and with that she opened the door and got into her car. She sat for a moment, fingertips pushed firmly against her closed eyelids. The pressure on her eyes a point to bring her focus. She took a few deep breaths and waited for the sound of his footsteps fading away before she drove home.


	7. Let the games begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deckerstar, they try but they are just trying.
> 
> Song: Say Something - A Great Big World

There were more questions at work the next day and the next and even the next.  Chloe Decker had no trouble with her answers, she told it how it was. It was easy not to add speculation that The Devil had done it.  The only thing she kept from them was the feathers, the blade and what they had done afterwards. Lucifer danced around the questions like a pro.  He had to tell so many 'truths' that were lies. She really did need a word for it. She had listened in on some of his interviews. It was masterful, if you didn't know what had really happened you wouldn't have a clue you were being lead astray.  And of course the detectives who were interviewing him had no idea what really happened. As the days wore on though, the questions were less focused on the circumstances of Pierce's death and more on the Sinnerman's network and, of course her relationship with him.  

 

Detective Decker was off active duty but her days were busier than ever which came with the benefit of 'flop into bed pass out with exhaustion' level sleep each night. Before long the Sinnerman part of the case took over everything, the sheer reach and scope of what had been happening in L.A. and Chicago overshadowed the strange circumstances surrounding Pierce's death.  Detective Decker's, and so by association Lucifer's, record spoke for itself and Lt. Pierce's record was getting muddier and muddier by the second. Amenadiel's theory turned out to be true. As much as some people in the department were unhappy to have so many unknowns associated with the death of Pierce, what they didn't know looked like supernatural weirdness rather than police cover up.  It was just easier to focus on things they could prove.

 

By the time she was allowed back on active duty however things had calmed down enough for her to be stuck, tossing and turning for hours each night before sleep could finally manage to wrestle her into submission.  And then when she finally slept she would dream of Lucifer. That feeling of him cradling her in his arms on the roof, the sound of his voice when she asked him what had happened. 'You're safe, that's all that matters'. Then he would tell her again he was The Devil and she would say 'not to me' and they would kiss like they had on the balcony before they found out Charlotte had died.  She would wake hot and flustered knowing that she loved him and that he loved her. But then her conscious brain would kick in and the anger and hurt over how long he had kept up this charade would flood her body. How could she trust someone who had 'lied' to her for so long. And then she would try to justify it, it wasn't really a lie after all. He was afraid of rejection and who could blame him, who in their right mind would see past the 'Devil' and try to get to know the person he truly was.  Add to that his trust issues, the things his family had done to him...and that's where it would all fall away from her. His family. God. was. his. father. He came from Heaven, and from Hell. All of that was real. After that her issues with Lucifer's so called lies seemed pretty much a non issue, until the next night.

 

Lucifer on the hand didn't toss or turn once.  He too barely slept. Usually when all the pesky negative human feelings like doubt and fear and loss reared their ugly heads Lucifer would pretend he didn't feel them by drowning them out with excess.  Fake it 'till ya make it baby. More, more, more. More drugs, more alcohol, more debauchery. This time the thought of trying to drown out the feelings he was drowning in just brought emptiness. Linda had been pleased.  She said it was a breakthrough. She said he was growing. She said that although it was painful now if he could get through the other side he would be a much better person for it. She said so many things, over and over and late at night as he lay completely still, trapped in the darkness he would cling to them like a liferaft.  Her words were all he had, well that and the glimpses of The Detective he would get at the precinct. She would see him too sometimes, give him a small smile, maybe a little wave, but there was never a chance to talk to her. Her desk was being shared by two other officers from out of town, here for the Sinnerman case. It had turned in something huge.  So there was no saucy banter over her desk. There were people everywhere, so no chance at a private moment in the break room. But even if there had been a chance Lucifer was unsure if he would take it. The way that they had left things worried him to no end. He had always been afraid that she would run away if she knew the truth, he had told her as much the night Charlotte died.  The way Humans had portrayed him, who wouldn't run? But she hadn't, not at all. In fact there had been moments since when she had looked at him with love and longing. He had been sure of it. But then she had said she couldn't trust him anymore. And that was the crux of the matter, the fear that stilled his soul, he had done everything in his power, _everything_ to show her he could be trusted.  How could she not trust him?

  
  


Her first day back on active duty had been mostly paperwork and office tidbits.  No need to call Lucifer. It had been a blessing really. What hadn't been a blessing was Twilight playing on random screens around the place.  Her chair had been covered in glitter and it had gotten in some of her case files. It was weird but everything had been a madhouse for a while now, someone had obviously needed to blow off steam. The next day she had helped Dan with his caseload.  He had never been off active duty and had a backlog what with the department being short staffed. They had easily slipped back into working together, at points avoiding the 'lucifer is the devil' thing and then randomly remembering something he had told them offhand that they now realised the significance of.  Dan, and Ella, had spoken to Amenadiel for hours apparently. He told her all about it. Chloe realised sadly that the fact that Dan had had a friend to ease him through this world changing information had made the process relatively simple, even pleasant. But then again she thought, Dan had always had faith, not like Ella, but still he had been raised in religion and this experience was just confirming and reshaping what he already understood.  Chloe was a ship lost at sea, a landscape devoid of anything she could recognise. When they got back to the office the Supernatural theme had been blaring over the P.A. System and there were trench coats draped over her and Dan's chairs. Something was going on. On the third day it was the Dr. Who theme and on her desk was a little cardboard dalek. Dan had one too, and she saw that there was another in Ella's lab. She knew this game all too well they were being hazed. She was planning to help Dan again but before she had gotten started Lucifer walked in. She hid the Dalek.

  
  


"Hello Detective." his voice caressed her. "I heard you were back to work."  It seemed like it was a question, or there were more words that should have followed like 'why didn't you call me to join you partner?'

"Yes, kind of, in a way." she fumbled.  "I'm actually helping Dan catch up, so many things got pushed down the priority list after, you know." she paused a moment. "So yeah ah playing clean up crew as it were."

"Oh well, if your short handed..." he offered graciously.

"I mean it's not that we aren't short handed Lucifer but I'm sorry I can't do this just now." she countered.  He stiffened and looked at her searchingly and she could see the fear.

"I told you you'd run." he said almost inaudibly. She reached out and touched his arm. It felt good, she felt that if he would just wrap his arms around her and hold her like he had on the rooftop she would be safe.  Home. Free from the struggle, the endless waves of uncertainty beating her down over and over until she didn't know which way was up. But he didn't, he stood still, motionless like an empty lighthouse and the bottomless fathoms of eternity, God, Heaven and Hell dragged her under again.

"I'm not running." it came out a little breathlessly.  "This," she said referencing her jumble of incomprehensible thoughts "is just a little too much." he misunderstood, thinking she was referring to him.  "Please Lucifer, just give me a beat to catch my breath. I'm doing the best I can." He stepped away from her, taking his arm with him. 

"As you wish Detective." he said trying to keep the heat and fear out of his words.  Chloe heard it as ice cold and stabbed her through the heart. Dan looked at her with pity and concern as she slumped in her chair watching Lucifer stalk out the door.


	8. They ride again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of the case
> 
> Song: Down - Marian Hill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I apologise in advance for my crime story. There has been zero research into policing. I just wrote whatever worked for my story idea - so unrealistic is the name of the game!

The backlog cleared, the precinct almost back to normal Detective Decker was ready to start working her own cases again.  She walked into the office to the sound of the X-Files theme, floating above her desk was a helium filled little green man.  Sighing she looked over at Dan's desk. Tied to his chair was the same little green man. Ella bounded out of her lab toward the Detective with her own little green man tied to a belt loop.  She was wearing a white t-shirt, on it was a UFO, it's rainbow tractor beam was beaming up a unicorn. It was exactly the type of shirt Ella would normally wear. But Chloe couldn't help but notice how on point Ella's shirts had been of late.

"Nice shirt." Decker said as Ella got to her desk.

"Thanks" the petite forensic scientist pulled the bottom of the shirt in question forward, looked down at it and examined it for a second "you got a case," she flipped open the file that was sitting in the middle of Chloe's desk. "It's at a club downtown, The Playpen." she finished as she skipped backwards towards her lab her eyes twinkling, eyebrows dancing in the very Lopez way she had about her.  

 

There was nothing for it Chloe realised as she skimmed over the case file in front of her.  She would have to call Lucifer. The vic was a dancer at the club. Found frozen in the walk-in freezer by the morning crew.  It would look odd if she didn't call him in for a crime that directly involved a nightclub. He was a consultant for crimes just like this.  Even though in reality she had called him for all crimes before Pierce. If it had been a case involving an accountant or a children's crossing guard maybe she would have gotten away with not calling him in.  Or  maybe they would think that it was just too mundane for him to turn up. But a dancer in a club there was just no way she could explain his absence without setting tongues wagging even more than they were now. 

 

By the time she got to the crime scene Ella was already there.  At first glance you could be mistaken in thinking that the door had closed behind the poor girl locking her in, an unfortunate accident.  But on closer inspection it was clear the the door didn't lock. Ella and her abducted unicorn shirt popped up beside her holding a broom.

"This is what the killer used to keep the door jammed shut. It's wide, flat head and short, strong bristles make it perfect for sweeping up slightly wet areas like behind the bar counter.  It also made it perfect for jamming up under that lip in the door." Ella stated. "I checked for prints, nothing it's been wiped clean. I also checked the door handle and surroundings, also wiped clean.  Outside of that it's just prints galore. No way to be sure it's our killer even if I could get a print without 5 others mixed in." Detective Decker already wearing her gloves opened the door and stepped into the frigid space.  "It doesn't seem like it took too long for the vic to be overcome by the cold" Ella continued her report. "Not much in the freezer itself seems disturbed. There is some bruising on her fingers, blood on the door and a missing nail here indicates she probably spent what little time she did have trying to open the door."  Ella had raised the girls right hand, nails pointed in Detective Decker's direction to show the missing nail. "There is something that looks like it could be skin under the other nails so she may have fought with someone beforehand. There are no other indications of a struggle however so it's not a strong lead at this point. I'll get the results back to you as soon as possible." Ella concluded.

 

"Right, okay thanks Ella." Chloe began. "So Miss..." Chloe pulled the file out and opened it to read the victims name.

"Mary-Beth Lyndsey" Lucifer filled in for her.  "Hello Detective. Ella." He said in greeting.

"You look devilishly handsome today Lucifer" Ella smirked, proud of her little inside joke.

"And you Miss Lopez are out of this world." he quipped. Detective Decker watched as they high fived each other over the corpse.  She sighed derisively.

"This is a crime scene guys, come on." she chastised.  

"Right you are Detective," Lucifer replied facetiously "Mary-Beth Lyndsey and the case of the three first names."

"Lucifer!" The Detective hissed exasperated already. "Show some respect".

"What?" he pouted " As I have said before you humans and your reverence for a shell.  Mary-Beth is no longer here." Chloe visibly blanched at his words " If she was though she would be tickled pink over that one. She loved to play on the fact that she had three first names and no last name.  It was her shtick, as you say."

 

"So you knew her?" The Detective asked on more solid ground. She had thought him being childish and disrespectful (her go to guess for Lucifer if she was to be honest) when if what he said was true he was probably remembering a friend the way she would have like to have been remembered.  But more problematic had been the shell comment. Dead bodies had been easier when she had thought of them as people who were now dead. It was sad, sometimes tragic even. But she had learnt as part of her job to keep that wrapped up neat and tidy. It was a case, a puzzle to be solved no more, no less.  Most of the time she managed. But the shell comment had brought those very hastily buried questions, fears and anxiety that surrounded this whole new world view that she just couldn't process yet. It was just far too big. She pushed on. 

"How well?"

"Of course Darling, she danced at Lux semi regularly, I did her a favour.  I suppose you could class her as a friend of sorts." He murmured. Hmmm a favour thought Chloe, did that mean he had had sex with her, had he paid her in sex like he had done with Linda.  Chloe could kick herself bringing Linda into her thoughts again.

"Right so semi regularly, is that why she was dancing here, no enough work at Lux to pay the bills.  Did she have any other side gigs that you were aware of. Do you know of family or friends?"

"No my dear, it's not exactly like that.  Mary-Beth was hired through a agency. They shift the dancers around the regular places to keep the dancers looking fresh and new, so the patrons don't get bored with the same old faces and whatever else they are looking at."  He sneered a little. "You lot do get bored rather quickly it seems".

"And the name of the agency she danced with?" The Detective quizzed.

"Oh yes, you'll love it Mary-Beth certainly found it ironic.  She came here from some place, I don't remember tumbleweeds, cows, yeehaws and whatnots, wasn't important.  But she came to dance it's just that she couldn't get her foot in the door anywhere. Didn't know the right people as they say.  Well I did her a favour and introduced her to the owner of Angels Inc. L.A.'s premier dance company. They book anyone who's anyone darling.  Mary-Beth loved it, Angel's dancing for the Devil and all that. She really was a talent." he seemed somewhat wistful.

  
  


They left the club for Angels Inc. in an attempt to get a better idea of next of kin.  The way he spoke reminded her of Charlotte's death again. 'I'll never get to see her again' he had said 'Sadly she's gone somewhere I simply can't follow'.  Before her whole world was turned upside down she had thought she would never see someone who died again either. Then when she died that would be it. Over. But Lucifer, it was just too hard to fathom really, living forever knowing those that you loved were still 'alive' for want of a better word and you could never see them again.  They would be happy and at peace and you had nothing but your memories of them for the rest of eternity. Eternity, it just didn't compute. 

"So what did you get in return for introducing Mary-Beth to Angel's Inc?" Chloe asked trying to distract herself from eternity.

"Oh, the favour right." Lucifer wrenched himself from his own thoughts. "Well nothing come to think of it.  I haven't cashed in my end of the arrangement yet. I suppose I will need to write that one off as well." she watched as he seemed to make a mental note of it and the he turned to her slowly, taking in the fact that she had been watching him.  "Were you perhaps expecting something more salacious my dear?" Chloe blushed and turned back to the road. "No, really? What then? Something less boring, more exciting?" Chloe snorted a little, his idea of boring and hers were as different as night and day. "Huh, something more sinister then?" At the word sinister Chloe gasped, nothing like that had even crossed her mind.  He was The Devil apparently but he was her Lucifer, she knew him too well to think that of him. Lucifer seemed to take her gasp as a sign of something else altogether.

"Ahh right I forgot" he said bitterly "deal with the Devil and all that. I have no use for souls Detective, you have been misinformed!"

"Lucifer!" I never thought..." Chloe started in defensive of herself but he had turned to look straight ahead, his stillness bristling with it's absoluteness.  She had hurt him again.

 


	9. Panthers and Spite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trying to be together
> 
> Song: Unsent Letter - Machine Gun Fellatio

Angel's Inc was pretty much exactly as Chloe imagined a dance agency that Lucifer would deal with would look like.  Everything was immaculate, not a fingerprint on the door, not a speck of dust on the plush carpet they walked in on.  The reception desk seemed perfectly placed in the perfectly proportioned lobby. Large, classy, black and white prints adorned the walls. They depicted strong and exquisite men and women in various dance poses, ballet on a stage, hip hop on a street corner, tango at a festival, ballroom on a movie set, their beautiful bodies all graced with diaphanous wisps of material and almost luminous little wings. She thought briefly of Lucifer's wings, broken and bloodied, the very instruments he had used to save her life.  Even as ravaged as they had been they were magnificent in comparison. It left her wondering if she would ever seen them in all their glory.

 

"Not even a little close to the real thing as you know Detective." Lucifer interrupted her thoughts "But nice enough to look at in their own right." She said nothing and just blinked at him.  Maybe she was broken after all he thought. Or it just took her longer than Linda he pondered. The receptionist herself was divine for want of a better word, she made her way over to them.  She was professionally attired, no skimpy Angel costume with cute little wings to sex her up. Every strand of hair in place, her almost makeup free skin unblemished and dewy. But even fully clothed and wingless make no mistake she sold sexy.  Her walk put Chloe in the mind of Lucifer, all grace and power. She wondered how well Lucifer knew the owner, it must have been reasonably well to be able to get Mary-Beth a look in. Did they intentionally imitate Lucifer, he was an Angel after all? Lucifer had said Mary-Beth found it ironic, the Angel's dancing for The Devil.  Did Mary-Beth know his secret, did anyone at this agency know? 

 

One of the first things she had thought of when he had inadvertently shown her his 'devil face' was all the times he had almost told her, tried to tell her but failed for whatever reason. Looking back she had seen how difficult it had been for him. He had been full of fear and apprehension. It was a big part of the friction she could feel between them now. He had let her believe a lie.  But even as she fumed over the betrayal of that 'lie' she knew deep down why he had done it. He had been afraid to lose her. The more time went on and the more their partnership grew, the more afraid he was that she would reject him.  After all his talk of his father and the rest of his family you didn't need to be Linda to figure out he was terrified of rejection. And there she was again. Linda. Chloe had thought with all his trepidation her knowing must have been important to him, that she had been special.  This was something that he had wanted to share, just with her. Turns out her less than ethical friend been comfortable even to show it to at least one other person. Making her feel even more stupid was the fact that looking around it was possible that many people knew. She wasn't special in the slightest.  He was immortal, with some weird desire pheromone thing that means he can and usually did get anyone he wanted - how could she have even entertained the thought that she was special to him? 

 

The receptionist and Lucifer were talking.  He had her right elbow cradled in the palm of his left hand as he lent in and whispered something into her ear.  She laughed breathlessly, effortless conjuring the sex appeal of Marilyn Monroe. Chloe baulked, she knew she would have giggled like a dizzy schoolgirl.  She thought back to the time when she had tried flirting with Lucifer. It had been so juvenile and asinine compared to some of the sex goddesses he came across so regularly.  Of course he had run off and married Candy. 'Urgh get it together Decker' she thought to herself. Focus on the case, you have a job to do. Next of Kin, Emergency contact, social security number, place of residence and all the other little details an employer would have on an employee were in the folder the coquettish receptionist handed to her just as she wrestled her focus back to the here and now.  

"Thank-you ever so much my love." Lucifer crooned beside her while giving The Detective a slightly concerned look.  He leaned in and kissed the woman's cheek, "until next time then" he threw over his shoulder before heading for the door.  Detective Decker nodded to the woman and followed him out, reading the file as she went.

 

Next of Kin were in Texas, she notified dispatch to let the local police know so they could contact and inform them.  Then they headed to Mary-Beth's address in the city. There was a boyfriend listed as Emergency Contact, it looked like they lived together.  First they would notify him and then see where it lead. Driving, Lucifer had been quiet while she worked. It was easier when he was quiet, but easier wasn't going to help her get through this.  

"How many people know Lucifer?" she asked point blank.  To blank it seemed, he looked at her like she had two heads.  "That you are The Devil, how many people know?"

"Well Detective, although you have expressed in no uncertain terms that you feel I am a liar, I do not lie." he began prickly and she worried this conversation would end as poorly as so many of their recent ones. "However you were right in you assertion that no-one believes my truth. The only people who have seen my true form are you and Linda.  I mean there are many criminals, as you can attest, that have some inkling of what I really am, but in the end even they are mostly left coming to the conclusion that they are insane rather than I am The Devil. I suppose Ms Lopez and Detective Douche are now on that list but although they know the truth they have yet to _see_ me. Oh and of course dear Charlotte, she saw my wings.  We had to really, poor dear, after mum borrowed her body for all those months she thought she was going insane." he left it there seeming wistful once more. The whole Charlotte/his mum thing was still unclear in her mind but there was no way she could go anywhere near 'borrowed her body' at this point. It made it easier she thought, that a least he hadn't been flapping about, showing himself to every Tom, Dick and Candy while hiding the truth from her.  But it still irked her that Linda had known before her.

 

Lucifer still felt nothing but fear. It was dotted here and there with hope and then despair depending on what she said to him, but mostly it was just fear. She hadn't run yet, that was something. But she had said she needed time to 'process'. Linda had said she would, and that he should just carry on as he normally would, answer her questions, truthfully without subterfuge and time would do the rest.  Well time he had in spades, far more than The Detective that was for sure. So that was what he was doing. He would _not_ mess this up. He hoped that he had answered her question to his satisfaction.  He had no idea why that had been one of her first questions to him though.  He had only revealed himself to Linda so there wasn't much of a precedent to be sure but he just did not understand the way this was progressing.  

 

At Mary-Beth's apartment they had found her boyfriend.  He hadn't taken the news well. Thinking she had just stayed out with her fellow dancers as she commonly did, he hadn't even thought anything was amiss.  Lucifer watched him carefully, in his experience romantic partners often had a murderous proclivity. The Detective also felt this way, telling him previously of some statistic or other that backed his sentiment.  It seemed the Detective was testing the boyfriend too. Lucifer listened to her talk, asking probing questions masquerading as concern and sympathy. She was very good at her job he thought. It made him wonder, not for the first time, if she was so good at working her way through all the clues no matter how insignificant or circumstantial and finding the perp _how_ had she not figured him out sooner.  It wasn't as if many of his clues were hidden or defective. Sure his charms didn't work on her, she hadn't seen his face or wings and he had been vulnerable in front of her. But everything else! She watched his charm work on everyone he wanted, and even some he didn't. She watched him pull people's desires from them, in fact she had even asked him to do it for her. She had seen his strength but most of all he had told her, upfront no gilding, he had told her the truth.  She had told him that she believed in his own way he had lied to her. Was it his deception that was a struggle for her or was it her own? He got up and stepped outside, this was something he needed Linda to help with. He was barely able to sort his own emotions out how on earth was he supposed to query hers as well? 

 

Chloe watched him speaking animatedly on the phone.  She noted that he hadn't really 'moved' since she had seen his 'devil face', he had walked and talked of course, been physically present but looking at him now she realised how still he had been recently.  His gestures minimal if there at all. His natural grace still there but without the flare that usually exuded from him. Almost like a panther trapped in a corner. Now however he was free, prowling lithe and potent in front of the apartment, the difference was marked .  She finished up her conversation with Mary-Beth's boyfriend. They had only just begun the investigation, hadn't even gotten time of death or a confirmation on cause of death, it was far too early to rule him out but she had his statement of his knowledge of Mary-Beth's comings and goings over the past few days, coupled with his own.  He had given her the names of the girls he had thought she had been dancing with last night and she would check that against the names the club was getting for her. He had indicated that he had no idea who would want to kill her. He had loved her and as far as he had known so had everyone else in her life. As she stepped outside towards her partner he saw him stiffen.  That stillness immediately binding him. His voice still kind and friendly he concluded his phone conversation.

"Ahh the Detective has returned darling I really must go, back to the grindstone and all that malarkey." Chloe raised her eyebrow and he winked a her, he was listening to the other person talk. " Yes, yes, Thank-you again you've been most helpful as usual Linda. The word Godsend comes to mind, are you sure my father didn't send you?" he quipped and then was quiet again as he listened to her reply. "No, you are right again, this is no joking matter. Talk soon." and with that he hung up the phone.  All trace of frivolity drained from his voice as he turned to her "Where to next Detective?" She felt the loss keenly, but even more strongly it burned away at her that he had been speaking to Linda.

 

He was driving again and this time Chloe paid more attention to the cornered panther vibe, much stronger now that he was physically so close.  She wanted to talk to him about it but she didn't know how to broach the subject, what to say. 

"So how's Linda?" she began.  He turned his face towards her slightly, still keeping his eyes on the road ahead.  

"Ahh fine." he ventured "She keeps asking for you to come and see her.  Both Ms Lopez and Detective Douche have been, non professionally of course she would never mention it if it had been in a professional capacity.  She's become very much the consummate professional since we stopped sleeping together." He added matter of factly. As if sleeping with your therapist was par for the course.  Maybe it was for him. She noticed her spite. Well at least she knew they were no longer sleeping together, that was one thing she supposed. And yet her feelings didn't change.  

"Yes, well, I..." she didn't really have an excuse to give him.  The thought of her sets my stomach rolling and ignites a burning desire to break things wasn't really something she wanted to admit to him.  She was saved however by the ring of her phone. It was Ella with case information. Time of death around 2/2:30 in the morning. Cause of death was exposure, she had frozen to death.  The skin under her fingernails was human but no match in the databases so although not helpful in pointing to a suspect it would help with a conviction if it matched the suspect they found.  Ella went through all the other physical evidence that she had combed through, it revealed nothing more than her initial speculation at the scene that morning but Chloe listened anyway, grateful for the distraction.  


	10. Progress on the surface

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Working on the case
> 
> Song: Psycho (ft. Mark Hoppus) - Amy Shark

They arrived at the club, ready to talk to the staff who had been on the night before.  It was routine questioning, they were fishing for a lead. They learnt the dancers finished their shift at 2am and the club was empty, doors locked by 2:30am without fail every weeknight.  Last night had been no exception. The club had three dancers each night, the two that had danced with Mary-Beth were not at the club and the girls on tonight didn't know Mary-Beth personally. Lucifer had wandered off at that point.  It wasn't a total dead end though the dancers had mentioned the first clue into who might have had it in for Mary-Beth. They had explained how many of the girls had 'fans' that would follow them from place to place. This wasn't discouraged.  Good for business. Sometimes 'fans' crossed the line however. It was up to the doormen to deal with those 'fans'. They had procedures and policy in place and the next step if that didn't work was the police. The girls had said that as far as they knew the situation was being handled well and they had no idea whether Mary-Beth had any of those 'fans'.  But they had mentioned it to The Detective just in case. She went to interview the Doorman, he was milling around at the front door, waiting for his shift to start she presumed. Lucifer was just outside, on the phone again. She waved him over, he finalised his call with Patrick she heard and he joined her in questioning the Doorman. 

 

His name was Will Sanders, he was late shift 6:30pm to 2:30am.  Eight hours on his feet keeping the club safe and respectable. He had a second that came on shift from 9pm till 1am and one of the bouncers who patrolled the floor would cover his meal break.  Last night he had been in the kitchen from 9:30pm till 10:00pm. It had all been pretty normal according to him. After the dancers had finished up for the night they would leave along with all the other staff, everyone was always out well before he locked the doors at 2:30am. Last drinks were served at 1am, the lights were on at 2am sharp and there was almost no-one left by then anyway.  The music stayed on while the staff packed up and they left as they finished. He didn't see who left when as he was walking the club doing his tidy up duties from 2-2:30am last night same as he did every shift, he walked through the kitchen but he didn't check the freezer as it had door open and thermostat alarms so there was never any need. She could have been in there and he would never have known according to him.  He didn't really know what else to tell them. Detective Decker asked about the dancers 'fans' she had been told about. He was kind of nonchalant. He was pretty sure all the dancers had fans. It was pretty much encouraged. Not exactly the way the dancers she had spoken to explained it.

"How do you mean encouraged?" she asked him.

"Well if someone likes what they sees they can ask the dancer where he or she will be the next night - you know so they can follow them there." Will answered

"Was there ever anything more that you knew about, phone numbers given, private dances etc etc?" The Detective asked.

"Absolutely not Detective." Lucifer butted in. "Angel's Inc dancers are consummate professionals. They are instructed to give their first name and answer schedule questions only, anything else is to be directed to the Doorman of the club they are at."

"Yeah." confirmed Will "Like he said."

"Yes" continued The Detective "but company policy and reality are sometimes not one and the same."

"Well Darling I can guarantee for Mary-Beth it was." Lucifer said concluding the interview.

  
  


Lucifer was heading for the car.  Chloe felt a tad irritated. She felt sure she could have gotten more out of him, asked a few more questions to staff she hadn't gotten around to yet. But she found herself walking out to the car to join him.  It was the reason they worked so well together, had such a high solve rate. His instincts were good. She did all the police work while he took just a snippet of the information she had gathered and ran with it, usually in the right direction.  Something had peaked his interest and she was ready to trust that and run right alongside him. This time though she wondered if she had made a mistake in running with it as he pulled into Lux. She looked at him questioningly but before she had a chance to voice anything he answered her

"Miranda and Sarah are working at Lux tonight." They had been the girls dancing with Mary-Beth last night. "I checked with Patrick." he added, as if he worried she thought he knew all the dancers schedules off by heart.  She grinned a little, he was so outwardly promiscuous in so many ways but then something he said or did would make it seem like he was trying to prove to her that he wasn't. As they walked in the door Lucifer motioned the two dancers off stage mid set, she noticed some of the patrons side eye them, they were not happy to lose their entertainment.  Even though there were still three more dancers on the stage, it seemed that some people had their favourites.

 

Miranda and Sarah were indeed helpful. Mary-Beth did have some of those 'fans' that had crossed the line. She had told them last night during break that she thought the latest one was in the club. It wasn't normally something that happened. Once the 'fan' was on the list it was usually then end of it. They had heard rumours of 'fans' getting home addresses or following dancers home, but agency had been quick to get the police involved. They had never heard of a fan getting into a club after he had been put on the list. So they thought Mary-Beth must of been mistaken, it was dark in the club after all and the flashing lights could play ticks with you.  Miranda had suggested Mary-Beth call the agency after her shift anyway just in case. They had a guy who would take dancers home. He was the 'protocol' if the policy wasn't being adhered to. Lucifer thanked the girls and let them get back to work. He realised he hadn't once thought of the danger to his staff that catering to some humans would entail.

 

As he headed for the door Chloe caught up with him and began.

"I'll check Mary-Beth's phone records tomorrow to see if she made that call to the agency.  Without a warrant I can't make the agency give me any info, perhaps you could follow that up directly and see what you can find out about this 'protocol'?"

"As you wish Detective." he replied mechanically. "Would you like to speak to Todd, my doorman, regarding this 'fan' of Mary-Beth's while you are here?"  Something had upset him she just didn't know what it was, she wondered, as they walked, if it was her.

"Thank-you" she acquiesced.  Todd was of course more than helpful.  All of the staff at Lux had always been so.  Pretty much since that first case together, where he had forced himself into her life.  She looked at the line of hopefuls queuing to get in, something she had never had to do. He had basically given her the keys to the castle hadn't he?  

 

She watched as he spoke to Todd about what Miranda and Sarah had said. Todd pulled out a book, it wasn't big really but it was big enough. Inside were pages, sorted by dancer.  On the pages were faces, dates and any other useful information to help the doorman keep out those type of 'fans'. Mary-Beth's section seemed just like any of the others. Chloe wondered if Mary-Beth was special because Lucifer had done her a favour or if he had this somewhat personal connection with all of his staff?  Todd pointed out the latest 'fan'. Scott Jenson. Lucifer looked at her.

"I'll get his info tomorrow." she said looking at her watch realising how late it had become.  She took a photo of Scott Jenson, thanked Todd and bade Lucifer goodnight.

 

The lonely Uber home only seemed to punctuate the emptiness of her house.  Trixie was with Dan this week and Maze, well Maze was someone she couldn't think about at the moment. Maze was still with Linda, she drifted off to sleep wondering how she had come to be in competition with the pint sized therapist.  Lucifer on the other hand lay still, black, silk sleep pants glistening in the moonlight. A glass of whisky still untouched on the bedside table. He thought of nothing but The Detective, his emotions perched atop a see saw teetering one way and then the next. Fear, hope, fear, hope but he could not move because he could see no way for him to control which way it would land.

 


	11. The hunt is on

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just good ol' police work.
> 
> Song: I will wait - Mumford and Sons

It was 9:30 in the morning when she called him.  He took a deep breath, it felt like the first since she had left last night.  He realised he had been waiting. He told her about his trip to Angel Inc.  They had told him Mary-Beth hadn't called and Chloe confirmed her phone records showed as much.  The 'protocol' was basically a cross between a bouncer and a P.I.,his name was Frank Bennett. When a 'fan' went into the book he would do a little digging.  If a dancer, doorman or club owner mentioned any more trouble he would escort the dancer home and stake out their residence for a while, check if anyone else was stalking them out.  If there was any sign of trouble he had a guy on the force that put a stop to it quick smart. Officer Milligan. 

 

Chloe's information was less promising. Last known address for Scott Jenson was in Michigan. So far no intel on when he had come to L.A., where he was staying or what he was doing here.  But she had uni's on it, they had already checked the boyfriend's story and all of that seemed to pan out, so at this point Scott was their best suspect. She would go have a chat with Officer Milligan and meet Lucifer to interview Frank Bennett, perhaps he had more luck digging up info after Scott's entry into the 'fan' book.  Lucifer quickly agreed. Even after acknowledging he would take a relationship with her in any form when she was with Lieutenant Pierce he was still surprised how little of her he was prepared to accept. At this point she was completely standoffish in any relationship apart from a professional one. Even that seemed like it would be in a limited capacity.  But still he waited with baited breath, ran when she called, jumped when she said jump. Linda had told him to give her time, and he really was prepared to do that. But he did wonder if this would become status quo. If it did, was he really willing to accept this long term? Honestly how long did it take to 'process' that he was The Devil?

 

Milligan, although helpful in explaining the process gave no good leads as to their suspect because of course he hadn't heard of Scott Jenson yet.  He did however confirm that there were no other suspicious 'fans' with Mary-Beth on their radar currently. So unless this had nothing to do with her dancing Scott was still their leading man.  Lucifer met Chloe at Frank Bennett's office. It was a small nondescript office in an equally nondescript building, so he wasn't one of those Hollywood type flashy P.I.'s. He was in fact the spitting image of what Chloe imagined a Viking would look like.  Of course her imagination had been moulded by tv and movies as she had no idea what a real Viking looked like but if she was a casting director for a Viking battle shot she would cast Frank Bennett front and centre. He stood to shake their hands as he introduced himself and he was almost as tall as Lucifer.  But he was broad shouldered and thickly muscled. Like Pierce she thought. But that's where the similarities to the men in her life ended. He had long almost afro red curls, a thick bushy reddish grey beard and tattoos covering both arms. His deep voice, was rough but soft as he told them all he knew about Scott Jenson.  It wasn't anymore than the police had. Jenson had only recently been put on the 'fan' list so Bennett hadn't had any cause to dig deep. As they were talking Bennett's computer dinged.

"Ah good" he said "after you contacted the agency this morning Mr Morningstar they asked me to do a more thorough work-up on Scott Jenson.  I've just started really but it looks like he has family here in L.A., I will of course keep you apprised of any more details." he printed off what was on his screen and handed it to Detective Decker.  

  
  


They went back to the precinct together to check over the names, last known addresses, known affiliations, records all that stuff.  It was paperwork to some extent but it was the kind that often lead to clues so Lucifer abstained from complaining when doing this type of paperwork.  As they walked towards her desk Lucifer noticed the Ghostbusters theme start to play. He caught the distinct sound of snickering as well, he heard The Detective sigh.  As he pulled up his regular chair to beside her desk he noticed a toy ghost in the bin before it was hidden behind her legs as she sat down herself. He looked over at Detective Douche's desk.  He had obviously been in, his Dan labelled yogurt tub sat half eaten on the side. He saw Ms Lopez in her lab, back to them, earphones in bopping away to some tune only she could hear. Something wasn't right though and he couldn't put his finger on it.  Was it Cain? Was it because he had spend so many months in this very spot with the man that almost managed to kill The Detective? Or was it because the last time they had sat here she had told him she needed time to 'process', her way of telling him she wanted him out of her life.  But here he was, at her request. He was more than a little confused. He stopped, backtracked, the weirdness wasn't them related. He watched Detective Douche return to his desk, the Ghostbuster's theme started up again. The Douche sighed, just as his Detective had when they got in.  He watched the snickers follow Dan like toilet paper stuck to a shoe.

"Palmetto Street" he hissed with venom.

"What?" The Detective looked at him sharply, questioning.

"Is this...ah...hazing" he said the word with difficulty, "because of...what I did?" concern clearly visible.

"What we did Lucifer, what _we_ did." The Detective replied stressing the word. "They've run the gamut to be honest, gotta give 'em credit.  We've had it all really, Stranger Things, Twilight Zone, X-Files, Supernatural, Twilight, Harry Potter, you name it. Ella always seems to have the matching shirt so it's not all bad if they are letting her in on it beforehand.  But taking on the bad egg twice is most definitely a badge of some sort in the force that's for sure." she smiled at him ruefully before turning back to the computer. 

 

It wasn't long before she called his name.

"Lucifer, look" he followed the her pen, pointing at the screen and read the information.  Kyle Jacobs, place of employment: The Playpen.

"And who is Kyle Jacobs when he's at home?" Lucifer asked

"Scott Jenson's cousin." The Detective answered as she grabbed her stuff, she had already written down the address.  


	12. The Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally real words are exchanged
> 
> Song: Fall for you - The Whitlams

No-one one was home, or at least no-one answered the door when they knocked and they didn't have enough evidence as of yet to justify a patrol car to watch the address so they sat back and settled in to do the job themselves.  They would stay until Kyle's shift at The Playpen - if they didn't get him at the house, maybe they could pick him up at work. He might not even know where Scott was but it was a hell of a coincidence if he didn't. 

 

"Lucifer?" Chloe began "can I ask you something?"

"For you Detective," he replied " anything." the way he said it made her think he was meant more than just the question.  It made her weak.

"Yesterday when you spoke to Linda on the phone" she began even as she willed herself not to talk of her.  He hmmmmed as if to tell her to go on. "What were you talking about?"

He opened his mouth to begin but then closed it again in a sigh.  "Sorry, sorry sorry, was it therapy stuff, I should never have asked sorry." she amended quickly.

"No, it wasn't really.  Well I mean it was, but it's not confidential or anything, it's just that it's about you and I don't want to upset you any further." he said quietly

"About me? You were speaking to Linda about me?" So much for not upsetting her Chloe thought as she moved in her seat to face Lucifer. "What on God's green earth could she be saying about me?" she almost spat.

"It's pretty blue overall" Lucifer quipped before realising that had been the wrong way to go.  He imagined The Detective's eyes glowing as red as his own devil eyes. "It was just something I thought of when I was admiring your work Detective." he tried to soothe. "It's not the first time, but I noticed again yesterday how good you are the this detective stuff my dear.  The questions you ask, the way you ask them. You just keep digging and turning over stones until you get the answer. " Chloe, calmer now was looking directly into his eyes, listening, waiting for him to go on. "Well it got me thinking, you said that by not proving to you who I was, continuing on even though I knew you didn't believe what I was saying was tantamount to a lie." Her face hardened a little, ready for the fight he supposed. "I pride myself on not lying, but you were right, what I gave you wasn't the truth." She lowered her head and sighed.

"Thank-you Lucifer." Well he wasn't expecting that.

 

"But..."he didn't know when to quit Chloe thought. " you weren't honest either." He really didn't know! " I didn't show you my 'Devil face' or my wings, true.  And of course I wasn't invulnerable. But what about the rest Detective? My strength, how quickly I heal when you are not around, my charm - which doesn't work on you I know - but you've seen it work on others.  I mean you have even named my gift 'desire mojo'. None of that is normal for humans. You're not stupid. I wasn't 100% honest but you invented Luciferness as some ridiculous framework to dismiss anything unnatural and I played along." That stillness had gripped him even tighter now, the trapped panther pushed back into his seat.  "You know I did what I did because I was afraid you'd leave me, I think, I hope that was your reason too. But those illusions are gone now and all I have left is...fear." Chloe reached over and placed her hand lightly on his.

 

"Lucifer..." she didn't really know where to start there was just too much to deal with. "I honestly don't know why I ignored all the signs.  I didn't think I'd lose you, well not until that time you ran away to Vegas at least. I mean I did kind of believe you, I shot you for Pete's sake, I would never shot someone just because they told me to.  But then you bled and you were surprised that you bled. But there was Palmetto Street and Dan and then Malcolm and it was just easier to have you by my side as you were. I wanted answers at some point, I mean I took your blood from...well the first time you died for me I suppose."  He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. "But, I don't know at some point I just decided I didn't want to know so I threw it away. I meant what I said before Pierce you know, you are not The Devil to me. I suppose that was why I did it, I wanted to be with who you are now, not who you think you are. To be honest Lucifer I don't think you've ever been the devil you think you are." He smiled sadly at her and his features twisted, that burning red face flashed briefly before he said.

"Oh really Detective?"

 

"Yes well I spoke to Amenadiel remember.  You killed Pierce and now you think you are a monster again.  I mean you took a life Lucifer and I'm glad you are not taking it lightly but that does not make you evil.  It just doesn't. He stood there and as he told me he loved me he said he would kill me if that meant he could kill you.  And true he may have been 'human' but he wasn't your run of the mill, garden variety man; just lock him up and punishment complete.  He had a network of criminal ties so deep that if we kept digging we wouldn't find the end in _your_ lifetime. For as long as I lived you and probably I would never have been safe.  I know guilt is low on the list of feelings I have when it comes to Pierce."

 

"You never cease to amaze me Detective." Lucifer responded. "But I don't understand if me being The Devil isn't this great big thing then what is all this?" he guestered randomly about the space between them.

"I don't know Lucifer." Chloe said with exasperation. "I suppose Pierce has a little to do with it, even though I know you warned me about him you also knew I didn't believe you, I'm still struggling with that a little if I'm honest.  But mostly it's God, The Devil, Heaven and Hell. Angels, Demons. You personally being The Devil is fine, I'll take you whatever your name or title. I never believed in that stuff so what does it matter? And there is the issue, my whole life, choices, decisions, values.  It's all wrong. Everytime I try to grasp at a solution or even contemplate a step towards piecing that all together it just slips away in a mass of confusion. I'm sorry I can't move forward until I've had time to work out how to deal with...your family history." Lucifer smiled, a little more relaxed than she had seen him in what seemed like forever.  He learned forward and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

 

"Time is something I can give you Detective." his voice silky and easygoing.  "That's what Linda said you would need, I really do think you should go see her darling." 

 

"No!" Chloe barked, Lucifer seemed taken aback and the moment was broken.  Ah Damn it she thought, she really did need to get her emotions in check. 

  
  



	13. Case Closed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is it over?
> 
> Song: More than you are - Grinspoon

The pseudo stake out, although rife with emotional growth for the two of them was a bust on the case front.  But they picked Kyle Jacobs up at the club. At the station Chloe let Lucifer 'desire mojo' him after Ella had taken swabs of D.N.A. just in case.  

"So Cousin Kyle." Lucifer began the all to familiar game. "What is it you truly desire?" Kyle Jacobs eyes glazed over and he began to tell his deepest, darkest desires.

"I..I..I just want Scott to move out and stop mooching offa me.  He's two years older than me but here I am stuck with him coz he wanted to 'make it' as an actor.  Mum says I have to put him up and help him settle in coz we are family. But dad is having to send me cash coz I don't earn enough to support both of us and the lazy shit wont get a dayjob.  He lives it up every night like he's already a star on my money." Kyle bashed his fist on the table, he had started spilling his desire under Lucifer's spell but he had rolled right into a rant.  

"So Scott's a murderer and a freeloader." Lucifer coached.

"A murderer?" Kyle began and slowly his eyes widened, he sucked his bottom lip and took a deep breathe in. "Mary-Beth." the words escaped when he exhaled.

 

"Do you know where your cousin was on the night she was murdered?" Detective Decker asked. Kyle lowered his head.

"In the club." he said. "I let him in".

"But he was on the no go list." Lucifer growled

"He told me it was a mistake, that he had drunkenly fallen on her when he tripped but it had freaked her out.  He said he wanted in to apologise and clear it all up. I just wanted him in so he could drink on my tab and it wouldn't cost me so much." Kyle confessed.

"And when she turned up dead the next morning, you didn't think to tell anyone you had let someone on the no go list into the club?" Lucifer growled again.

"Well to be honest I didn't even connect it - he messaged me a little after 10, maybe 20 minutes after he got in and told me it was fixed.  When I clocked out at 1 I didn't see him and my tab was less than 20 bucks so he couldn't have had more than 2 drinks. I just assumed he had left as soon as it was sorted."

"It is possible that is what happened." The Detective said.  "Did you see him when you got home?"

"No, but I mean it's not unusual. He has his own room, I don't go in there."

  
  


Nothing solid either way but they still needed to interview Scott.  The Detective had a plan.

 

_ Hey man, where are u? _

_ Investigation stuff still _

_ going on so I've got the  _

_ night off.  Thinking of _

_ bringing some friends _

_ home for party.  Are u _

_ planning on sleep? _

 

The reply was almost instant.

 

_ Nah, not sleeping. _

_ up 2 party, c u  _

_ when u get home. _

 

And the trap was set.  They had Scott Jenson in the interrogation room in a little over an hour and a half.  He told a pretty similar story to his cousin. Added to the 'fan' book by mistake, went to clear it up.  Spoke to Mary-Beth, apologised and left. Went straight home to bed and saw no-one until late afternoon the next day.  Time wise in the club they had no witnesses. Uni's had gone back and canvassed staff with Jenson's photo but no-one had remembered seeing him.  Detective Decker didn't buy the apology bit going by what Miranda and Sarah had said and the 'fan' book story didn't add up either. Frank Bennett had told her that Jenson had landed himself in the 'fan' book for several escalating incidents over a three night period.  A one off drunken stumble was not how Mary-Beth had recorded their interactions. 

 

She let Lucifer do his 'desire mojo' again.

"So Scotty boy what is it you most want?" he purred and that all too prosaic glaze settled in.

"I..I want Mary-Beth to forgive me. I didn't think it thru, I just wanted her to cool down." he mumbled before seemingly coming to his senses.

"So you locked her in a freezer?" roared Lucifer, standing loomingly over Scott.

"I just wanted to talk, she's so beautiful and talented and I thought that if I could just talk to her she would see that we would be perfect together.  But she wouldn't listen, she would only tell me where her next gig was and then she got me in the 'fan' book. I knew I still had a chance, it was fate. Kyle could get me in, I could talk to her and she would see.  But when she saw me in the club I could see that she wasn't happy, so I hid in the closet until close. I saw her walking into the back and I went up to her. I told her I just wanted to talk but she was so angry she was almost hissing.  She said that I had gone too far and that she was calling the agency and that the next step was the police. I just wanted her to cool it and listen to me. I was standing in front of the freezer so when she looked down to get her phone out of her pocket I grabbed her and pushed her in.  I pushed the broom against the door to lock it and picked up her phone. I tried to talk to her but I couldn't hear anything over the music. Then I realised what I had done, what I had actually done. There was no way she wasn't going to call the agency and the police so I wiped it all and I ran." he was sobbing by the end of it. They had caught their killer.

  
  


"And Cousin Kyle?" Lucifer asked after Scott Jenson had been processed.

"Nothing unfortunately, he hasn't done anything illegal". Detective Decker answered.

"What do you mean he hasn't done anything illegal. Mary-Beth would still be alive if he hadn't broken the rules and let that freeloading murderous cousin in." Lucifer raged.  Chloe looked at him. He really did care didn't he? He may get it wrong, he may misunderstand how to go about things but he truly cared about those around him. She wondered if this realisation was her forgiving him for letting her almost marry Pierce.  

"I know Lucifer, I know it doesn't feel right.  But he had no way of knowing that Mary-Beth would die, I mean not even Scott knew he was going to kill her.  He thought Scott had left and had no inkling anything untoward had happened so we can't even get him as an accessory." The Detective explained.  

" _You_ may not be able to 'get him'. Lucifer spat turning to leave.

"What are you going to do to him?" she asked grabbing his arm before he could walk away. Lucifer looked at her eyes narrowing.

"I own a club Detective, we all talk, the club owners.  It's a bit of a necessity in our line of work, need to keep in contact if we want to keep the riff raff at bay.  Kind of essential if you want people to feel safe coming to your clubs late at night. I was planning on getting him fired and blacklisting him in L.A." His answer was stiff and a little guarded.

"Is that all Lucifer?" she pushed and she regretted it the minute the words had left her mouth.  But he just seemed so angry. She would have asked the same of Dan or any other fellow officer> But Lucifer wasn't Dan or and other office, he was Lucifer and she knew he was about to jump to the wrong conclusion.

"I am the Devil not evil" leaving the words 'no matter what you may think Detective' unsaid.  They were there though, she could feel them hanging in the air. He wrenched his arm from her grasp and stalked away.  Slowly Detective Decker slunk to her desk and into her chair forlorn. That was not what she had meant.


	14. Easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe pulls a Lucifer
> 
> Song: Psycho Killer - Flying Pickets

She was angry and hurt, confused and as she thought of Linda, jealous even.  She hadn't meant to cause him pain. Why couldn't he see that? She had accidentally hit a nerve, that family history.  The rejection, the condemnation and the blame. She understood why he had trouble trusting her at her word, but understanding didn't make it hurt less.  She wondered if there was a magic number, the amount of times he had to hear that she didn't see him as The Devil before he would believe her? 'God' she screamed silently and she didn't care that He might actually hear her 'your family is ridiculous!'  She packed up her desk, gathered her things and turned out the light on her desk. 

 

On her way home she found herself driving to Lux. It's what they did wasn't it? She parked her car in the staff parking. They would fight, usually it was something stupid he did or said, she would send him away and then sometime later she would cool off and head to Lux for them to talk it out.  She sat in the car. Well until he went to Vegas that was. She remembered the hurt all over again. Stepping into his Penthouse, covers on everything, the place eerily empty and quiet. He had gone, said nothing to her, just disappeared. She thought he had left her for good. But then he turned up with Candy. Then on her birthday he had gone off again. She had been too afraid to go up to the penthouse alone. So Linda had come with her.  Linda, had she known who he was at that point? Wow. Chloe checked herself. She realised she was more jealous now of Linda's relationship with Lucifer than she had been of Candy's. 

 

"Urrrgh" she screamed. It was all too much! Right screw that she thought, screw being Chloe this time she was going to be Lucifer.  See how he liked it if she just up and disappeared. She had Trixie for the next 7 days, her mum was in London for some convention, she'd catch night flights so it would be basically a week's holiday.  She had more than enough time due at work and 5 days off school wasn't that big of a deal really. She pulled out her phone and booked the flights right there and then. She had just over two hours to get to the airport. Easy.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, the ending with no true resolution. Just someone running away in true Deckerstar tradition. It's my subconscious fears for Season 4 seeping out. 
> 
> I really enjoyed writing this, so thanks for reading it.

**Author's Note:**

> Short Chapter to start, they get longer. 
> 
> Also is there a special/accepted format? Spacing rules, chapter/paragraph length. Anything? If so please let me know.
> 
> Thanks!


End file.
